On paper, there is no way that we have improved. We are definitely counting on young players improving over an offseason, and some vets catching a second wind.
This seems to be the plan. This year going with players who are considered premium talents or have shown in the past premium performance is not the direction we are going. Young players are going to have to step up and have their talent blossom into game results. We haven't bought NFL proven talent this year from the outside. So this comes down to the concept of have we tended the garden well enough over the past two years to reap the harvest from our draft seeding of the past two to three years?
Off hand, I don't know that a combo of Armstrong & Fowler won't be just as productive as what we had last year.
Yeah, this will be a wildcard. Does the entire d-line we have signed be able to pressure the pocket and protect against the run better. Official words coming out of Cowboys HQ is they feel the defence can be better than last year. They must feel the garden is about to burst into a great harvest of defensive talent.
I definitely think the WR production won't be as good. I do think we can come away with a starter at LG that will at least be as good as what we had last year for less money.
The bar for LG performance was low based on 2021 results. It shouldn't be hard for Dallas to put someone in the spot, and say the performance was push. It would be great to have even a slight improvement if possible.
I do think Steele can build on last year's effort at RT, where he was at least as good as Collins was for 20% of the cost.
If Steele is not injured and plays all 16 games at the level he did last year I would say let's be happy with that. Our problem this year might not be Steele. I am much more concerned about Tyron.
I really think that upgrading the OL and DL is the surest, best way to give this team a chance to match or exceed last year's result.
I agree with this thought. If the offence is going to have any chance to be successful we have to keep Prescott clean in the pocket for a high percentage of the plays. I would not categorize Dak's game as one where he creates opportunities with his legs on a regular basis.
He is by and large turning into a pocket passer first and foremost. We need to get him a clean pocket as he isn't on the level of Brady or Rodgers in creating space for himself on a consistent basis.
On the defence I do not see an all-world backfield or LB core. So being proactive, and having strong performances from the d-line in pass and run plays is going to make a difference for us.
Last, I would say there is something this team needs to acquire real fast. TOUGHNESS and INTELLIGENCE. We all saw sideline videos of smiles and comraderie when they were steam rolling teams early last year. We need to see a team who can not only win when all the chips are falling in the right place, but can dig from behind and overcome any obstacle.
A team that plays and operates in a fashion that gives them a chance to win week after week on a consistent basis against not only inferior teams, but superior talented teams. If we are going to go short on proven NFL grade talent, then we need this young team to develop toughness and intelligence (discipline) to be NFL competitive this season.